Safety means for cranes



L. ALFANO June 17, 1947.

SAFETY MEANS FOR CRANES Filed Sept. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Lou/5 rQLFfl/VO ALFANO 2,422,329

SAFETY MEANS FOR CRANES June 17, 1947.

Filed Sept. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1947 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SAFETY MEANS FOR CRANES Louis Alfano,'Los Angeles, Calif. 7 Application September 25, 1945, Serial No. 618,559

18 Claims.

My invention relates to safetymeans for cranes for warning persons of the presence orcondition of moving parts of the crane.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide such safetymeans whereby'persons near a swinging or moving crane may be positively warned without shock or injury of the presence or approach of a travelling crane or the swinging thereolabout its supporting or moving carriage.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a safety means of this class which is relatively simple and economical of construction, and means of this class which may be readily applied to and installed on various types of cranes.

An important object also of this invention is to provide suchsafety means which is ever available and which is automatic in its operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a safety means of this class for cranes mounted on rails in which the rails in front of the moving crane are guarded by constantly moving warning means in front of the carriage means or trucks riding on the rails.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a safety means for cranes as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon,-which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a traveling crane embodying my invention of the safety means in one form;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, the view being taken at 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the flexible warning fingers of my safety means, a portion thereof being broken away and in section to facilitate the illustration;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the complete crane, on a reduced scfilashoWing on a reduced scale the safety mean illustrated in Fig. 3

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary elevational view thereof, taken at right angles to the view of Fig.5, and showing on a reduced scale the safety means shown in Fig. 1; r

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of a diiTerent type of crane embodying my invention of the safety means in a modified form;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, show- 2 ing the cabin or operating platform in a shifted position; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the flexible warning fingers employed in the crane of Figs. 7 and 3.

The type of crane shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and fragmentarily on an enlarged scale in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is such as is used in yards and buildings for transporting or moving large equipment, products, and materials. The commonly known Gantry crane is one of this type. This crane is mounted to move-on rails I. The crane consists essentially of a bridged superstructure 2, which is hereinafter referred to as the body of the crane. The common type of crane of this character is supported on a carriage means, which here consists of a plurality of trucks, designated 3 and 4. Four of such trucks are mounted on each rail and each is pivotally connected to the superstructure which it supports. The trucks 3 are located at the ends of the carriage means or are foremost. All of the trucks are two-wheeled and are arranged that they may follow curved rails, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the gantry, or other similar cranes, four separate safety units are provided in front of each of the end or front trucks 3, as indicated by A in Figs. 5 and 6. Each unit consists of a plurality of flexible warning fingers I I, which are suspended from an arm I2. The arm is pivotally mounted at its inner end on a bracket I3, which extends forwardly from an end or corner upright 2 of the superstructure or body 2. The-designation forwardly from an end upright 2 is employed to imply outwardly from the crane in substantial alignment with the rail above which the upright extends. The pivotal mountin of the arm I2 on the bracket I3 is on a vertical axis above the forward truck 3. The outer or free end of the arm I2 is supported by a guy member l4, the-inner end of which is secured to a bracket I 6 located above the bracket I 3. The inner secured end of the guy member is substantially in vertical alignment with the pivotal axis of the inner end of the arm I2 so as to hold the arm in a substantial horizontal plane as it swings laterally about its pivot.

The arm i2 is held substantially over' the rail in front of the forward truck 3 by a rigid upright member Ii, which extends upwardly from the forward end or" the truck 3. The upright member i? has at its upper end a. bifurcated portion l'i which straddles a member 12 of the arm l2, as shown best in- Fig. 2. In this manner, the

arm is held over the rail over which the truck 3 is about to pass, even though the rail 1 is considerably curved.

The fiexible warning fingers l I are arranged in parallel rows which extend along the arm l2, as shown in Fig. 2. There are five rows and six fingers in each row, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus a substantial area of the rail is covered in front of each truck 3.

Each finger consists preferably of a spring H which is relatively stiff and this spring is covered by a flexible or soft covering of fabric, such as canvas, or rubber.

The crane shown in Figs. '7 and 8 is commonly known as a locomotive crane, and it consists of a carriage 2|, which is mounted on rails 22, and a body 25. This body has an operating platform 23 which carries the boom 23 and other operating mechanism. The platform 23 is rotatably mounted on the vertical axis on the carriageil.

My safety means, in this instanoe consists of a plurality of flexible warning fingers 3! which extend horizontally, in horizontally spaced relation, from the edges of the platform 23 and substantially surround the same, as shown in Fig. 8.

These fingers also preferably consist of relatively stiff springs 3t which are-enclosed in a soft ,oryieldable-covering "3W. The inner ends of thesprings tl may be screwed, or otherwise secured, to studs 32, which extend outwardly from theplatform 2.3 orfrom securing strips 33 fas- 'tened to theedges ,of theplatform.

The yieldable cover member 34 may be a piece of rubber hose of approximately twice the length ofthespring 3%. The spring, in most in- -stances, may be approximately 6" long and the hose -or covering 3F approximately 12" long. Thus,.the outer-ends of the hose lengths orcoverings are self-supporting, but more readily yieldable than the springs.

With such arrangement, the fingers extend .laterallyand ahead of the rotating platform, and warn persons of such movement before the platform may strike them.

Though I haveshown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement 'of parts and portions, and a certain 'modification thereof, I do not wishto be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination, and :arrangement substantially .as set forth in the .appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety means for travelling cranes, the combination with a crane structure, of a plurality-of warning flexible fingers carried by and extending from the structure, said fingers comprising springs secured at one end to the structureand each having a yieldable covering.

2. In a safety vmeans for travelling cranes, the combination with .a crane structure, of a plurality of warning flexible fingers carried by .and extending from the structure, said fingers comprising springs secured at one end to the structure and each having ayieldable covering extending considerably beyond theother end of the spring. 7

.3. .In a safety means for travelling cranes, the

:combination with a crane having a carriage and a .body movable with respect to the carriage, of "a plurality of flexible warning fingers carried by and extending from the body and in front of the normal path of movement thereof.

M which may be iii) 4. In a safety means for travelling cranes, the combination with a crane having a carriage and a body movable with respect to the carriage, of a plurality of flexible warning fingers carried by and extending from the body, said fingers comprising springs secured at one end to the body and each having a yieldable covering.

5. In a safety means for travelling cranes, the combination with a crane having a carriage and a body movable with respect to the carriage, of a plurality of flexible warning fingers carried by and extending from the body and in front of the normal path of movement thereof, said fingers comprising springs secured at one end to the body and each having a yieldable covering.

6. .In a safety means for travelling cranes, the combination with a crane having a carriage and a body movable with respect to the carriage, of a plurality of flexible warning fingers carried by and extending from the body, said fingers comprising springs secured at one end to the body and each having a yieldable covering extending considerably beyond the other end of the spring.

7. In a safety means for cranes, the combination with rails and acrane having a plurality of trucks adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body, a portion of the body being pivotally mounted on vertical axes of two trucks supported on the same rail, of a horizontal arm piovtally mounted on a vertical axis at one end of the body above one of the trucks, flexible warning fingers depending from thefree portion of the arm in frontofthe latter truck, and means connecting the forward portion of the latter truck with the intermediate portion of the arm for laterally shifing the arm about its axis with the turning of the latter truck on its rail.

8.'I na safety means for cranes, the combina tion with rails and a crane having a plurality of trucks adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body, a portion of the body being pivotally mounted on vertical axes of two trucks supported on the same rail, of a horizontal arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at one end on the body above one of the trucks, flexible warn ing fingers depending from the free portion of the arm in front of the latter truck, and a fixed upright member connecting the forward portion of the latter truck with the intermediate portion of the arm for laterally shifting the arm'about its axis with the turning of the latter truck on its rail. 4

9. In a safety means for cranes, the combination with rails and a, crane having a pluralitycf trucks adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body, a portion of the body being pivotally mounted on vertical axes of two trucks supported on the same rail, of a horizontal arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at one end of the body above one of the trucks, flexible'warning fingers depending from the free portion of the arm in front of the latter'truck, means connecting the forward portion of the latter truck with the intermediate portion of the'arm for laterally shifting the arm about its axis with the turning of the latter truck on its rail, and a guy connecting the free end of the arm with the body above the pivotal axis of the arm.

'10. In a safety means for cranes, the combi'nation with rails and a crane having carriage means adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body mounted on the carriage means, of a horizontal arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at one 'end on the body, flexible warning fingers depending from the "free portion of the arm in front of the-carriage means, and means infront of the body and shiftable laterally by the rails for laterally shifting the arm about its axis with the curvature of the rails.

11. In a safety means for cranes, the combination with rails and a crane having carriage means adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body mounted on the carriage means, of a horizontal arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at one end on the body, flexible warning fingers depending from the free portion of the arm in front of the carriage means, means in front of the body and shiftablelaterally by the rails for laterally shifting curvature of the rails, and a guy connecting the free end of the arm with the body above the pivotal axis of the arm.

12. In a safety means for cranes, the combination with rails and a crane having a plurality of trucks adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body, a portion of the body being pivotally mounted on vertical axes of two trucks supported on the same rail, of a horizontal arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at one end of the body above one of the trucks, flexible warning fingers depending from the free portion of the arm in front of the latter truck, and means connecting the forward portion of the latter truck with the intermediate portion of the arm for laterally shifting the arm about its axis with the turning of the latter truck on its rail, said fingers being arranged in spaced rows along the arm.

13. In a safety means for cranes, the combination with rails and a crane having carriage means adapted to ride on the rails, the crane having a body mounted on the carriage means, of a horizontal arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at one end on the body, flexible warning fingers depending from the free portion of the arm in front of the carriage means, and means in front of the body and shiftable laterally by the rails for laterally shifting the arm about its axis with the curvature of the rails, said fingers being arranged in spaced rows along the arm.

14. In a safety means for a crane having a carriage and an operating platform rotatably the arm about its axis with the mounted thereon on a vertical axis, a plurality of flexible fingers secured at one end in horizontal spaced relation around the base of the plat form and extending therefrom in a substantially horizontal direction.

15. In a means of the class described, a movable structure, and a plurality of relatively closely positioned flexible warning fingers carried thereby and movable therewith in front of the same and in the path of its movement, each finger having a yieldable covering extending beyond the end of the same.

16. In a means of the class described, a movable structure, and a plurality of relatively closely positioned flexible warning fingers carried thereby and movable therewith in front of the same and in the path of its movement, said fingers comprising spring secured at one end to the structure and each having a yieldable covering.

17. In a means of the class described, a support, a body rotatable thereon on a vertical axis, and a plurality of flexible warning fingers extending outwardly therefrom in relatively closely positioned relation, each finger having a yieldable covering extending beyond the end of the same.

18. In a means of the class described, a support, a body rotatable thereon on a vertical axis, and a plurality of flexible warning fingers extending outwardly therefrom in relatively closely positioned relation, said fingers comprising springs secured at one end to the body and each having a yieldable covering.

LOUIS ALFANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

